Strength among Friends
by Honchkrow111
Summary: 5 high school students acquire Kamen Rider powers just as Kaijin appear to attack their school. That's it.
1. Mummy Monsters Show Up

"I hate waking up in the morning." I say under my breath as the showerhead stops in the other room, signaling that my brother is done showering and its time to get my butt out of bed. My twin brother, Sam, is always the first awake, he has been forever. He's also an annoying little crap with a talent for conjuring terrible puns from thin air. Despite that, I'd be lost without him. He provides levity when my life seems to get its darkest. He's been going to a seperate school from me since last year, which is probably in both of our best interests.

My mom drives me to school as always. I make a beeline for the cafeteria and wait for my friends there.

The first to show up is Ling. He's got an average build, not big and not small. He's quiet, but every action he makes carries an almost visable sense of wisdom and patience. He only speaks when he needs to and ya know what? That's just fine in my book.

Then, Camden shows up and oh boy I have no freaking clue how to describe the walking mental paradox that is my friend Camden. Let me put it this way, it worries me a lot when he goes more than two minutes without being weird to the point of incoherence. Almost every time he speaks, he says something that makes my brain stomp on the brakes and ask some very odd questions. He's a funny guy though, so whatever.

Camden, Ling, and I sit and talk until 6:30 or so when we go meet up with our two other friends.

There's Reeves, who I can only describe as the lovechild of a computer nerd and a 80s guitarist. He's clever and has a good brain in his skull, but he commands attention every time he enters a room.

And last, but most definitely not least, is Faith. She's a recovering goth and our resident badass. She's got a wit as sharp as a knife, a bright and understanding personality, and could clearly kick my butt across the cafeteria by wiping her shoe on my jeans.

If this had been a normal day, I'd spend some time with them and maybe head to the school library later on, but today was about to be anything except normal. Ling, Camden, and I had just arrived when the sound of crumbling brick shook the building, followed by a large set of gutteral, animalistic shrieks. Any normal person would've started running like lightning, but as I just established, me and my friends were anything, but normal. Of course we ran towards the noises and climbing through the dust of the collapsed wall were creatures I knew well, but I thought were pure fiction.

"No..." All five of us stood stock still at the five unnatural horrors emerging from the white dust cloud. All of the monsters were awkward mummyesque things, tripping over their own feet. Possessing only a single eye and a gait like a toddler, they had an almost palpable aura of strength. They were Trash Yummies, creatures from the Kamen Rider shows I enjoyed so much.

Sitting on the floor between the monsters and us was a set of five belts of varying types. I also knew these well enough. The one in front of me was the Blay Buckle with the Change Beetle and Time Scarab Rouze Cards. The one in front of Camden was the Odin Advent Buckle with the GoldPhoenix Contract Deck already placed in its clip. In front of Ling was the Ketaros Zecter and the Kabutick Rider Brace. Placed before Reeves was the OOO Driver with the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals already in their proper places. Last but not least was Faith, who had the White Wizard Drive with the White Wizard Change Ring to its right.

"This is gonna sound nuts, but everyone grab the belt or brace in front of you and throw it on. I'll explain everything else in a second!" None of my buddies hesitate for a moment, they each nod and stride confidently forward towards their belt (Or in Ling's case a wrist strap.) After mine is clipped on, I slot the Change Beetle.

"Henshin!" I pull on the left handle and a voice rises from the belt : "Turn Up!" The Kamen Rider Blade armor formed over me and fasten into place with a satisfying metallic clank. I swipe the Time Scarab Rouze Card : "Time Scarab: Slow." Time beyond me and my friends slows to a drunken crawl.

"Okay, Camden: Slide the golden-orange deck case out of the belt and slide it in again, then move your arms slowly apart around your waist." He does all of those things without missing a beat. He copies my transformation phrase : "Henshin!" A burst of white light and soft feathers envelops him and when it disappears the Odin Armor has encased him. He turns to me and starts spouting excited gibberish:

"Camden, I need to help the others, hold up a sec." I turn to Ling. "Clip that plastic beetle into the brace and slide it into a parallel position with your forearm." Ling follows my instructions with godspeed. His brace speaks its own transformation phrase: "Henshin : Change Beetle." The Ketaros armor covering him in a flurry of hexagonal plates.

"Reeves, push the coin holding bit into a diagonal position and swipe that gold and black device down the belt. Then, hold it to your chest." He stumbles for a second trying to figure out which end to push down, but figures it out quickly enough. He also copies the transforming motto: "Henshin!" Holographical images of the Taka, Tora, and Batta medals appears in front of him and collide into a single image that then floods over Reeves, replacing his form with OOO's.

"Faith, that jewel ring goes on your right ring finger, Once it's there, swipe it in front of the red-outlined, clawed hand symbol on the belt." She slides the ring on quickly and holds the ring in front of the claw-like glyph. "Now, put both of your hands down at your sides." The mystic circle appears above her and flips over itself multiple times, causing the armor to appear.

"Are you all ready to fight for our lives?" I turn towards the Yummies as Time Scarab's effect begins to fade.

"Let's kick some tail!" Camden screechs to the heavens.

"You know it." Ling says calmly, flicking back the short cape on his outfit as he enters a fighting stance.

"Ready if you are." Reeves says as he locks eyes with me.

"Same here." Faith also looks at me.

"Then, let's go kick some ass." The effect of Time Scarab has completely disappated, the Trash Yummies stumbling towards us on their rubbery legs. All five of us charge the monsters at the same time.


	2. A Fishy Disguise Tactic

"King of Spades and Knight of Hearts, Kamen Rider Blade!" The Yummies back up and stare at us, knowing that they have no chance.

"Pure as Gold and Benevolent as an Angel, Kamen Rider Odin!" This is why I love my friends. They don't question anything weird.

"Hardiest of All Beetles and Protector of All Light, Kamen Rider Ketaros!" The Yummies look about ready to pee themselves.

"One-Man Army and Army of One, Kamen Rider OOO!" God above, this is sweet!

"Sum of Heaven's Knowledge, Kamen Rider WiseWoman!" And now on to your previously scheduled ass whooping:

Ling, as Ketaros, gets in the first hit. Hitting a button on the side of his Zecter, the small device announces: "Clock Up!" and he speeds away in a cloud of dust. He uppercuts one of the monsters at Mach 2 and it shoots through the roof like a space shuttle.

Next, I pull out my sword and slash at one of the mummy-like creatures standing stunned and confused. I sever the top half of it from the bottom half. It falls to the floor with two limp, wet smacking noises.

Faith pulls out the Special Ring and slides it over the Hand Author on her belt. "Special, Please!" A magic circle appears in front of her, from which a jet of white-hot flame and stained glass shards issues, turning the next Yummy into a miniscule pile of fine ash.

"Up and in!" Camden screeches as he slams the fourth monster into a school trophy case. The Kaijin then falls to the floor after having left a perfect imprint of its body shape in the broken glass covering.

The Tora claws on the OOO armor pop out and onto Reeves' hands unexpectedly. He stares at them suprisedly for just a moment until a comfortable ease creeps into his stance.

"This is awesome." He says as he charges the final mummy creature. He just finishes cutting it into ribbons when the Yummy that Ling punched through the ceiling falls back to Earth.

"Wait..." I pause and take a look around the area we've been fighting in. Trash Yummies are created by a single broken Cell Medal. That's what makes them as weak as they are, but these five have been vomiting up Cell Medals by the pound since we started fighting. The truth dawns on me just as the Kaijin's forms begin to shift and wobble sickeningly:

"It's a disguise! Get back!" I yell to my friends just as a rotten yellow light begin to form around the monsters. All five of us jump back just as they explode into a blue-and-purple slime.

"How observent of you, child." A deep baritone voice says from the sludge before laughing like an echo through a wet cave.

"Okay, let me guess. Those things we just beat up without effort were just a stalling tactic by a more powerful monster?" Faith says, still in fighting stance with the rest of us.

"It seems like it." Ling says with an exhausted sigh.

"Yep. I am afraid it is." I say before sighing tiredly myself.

"Seems Kaijin cannot exist without Riders to fight them. Oh well. It's more fun for me this way." The pile of goo has formed into a roughly humanoid shape. The monster's features become more distinct until I see the monster that we've actually been fighting: The Jellyfish Undead.

"Last time I checked, the Jellyfish Undead couldn't shapeshift." I point out to the Kaijin.

"Originally, no I could not, but a new world brings new powers." He says offhandedly.

"I've got a funny feeling that there's more to it than that." Camden says accusingly.

"In any case, your defeat is inevitable, children. Give up!" The Undead assumes an aggresive stance.

"Not gonna happen and you know that, snot-for-brains." I say as I turn to my friends and nod assuringly.

"Let's do it!" Faith yells to the sky as we all charge the monster.

"Very well." The monster's liquidlike arm streches to attack Faith and grapples her by her right arm. It slams her multiple times against the tile floor.

"Faith!" Ling screams. He charges the monster headfirst with his horned helmet. The monster was too preoccupied beating the crap out of Faith to notice, so it's form stayed solid as Ling rocketed into the creature's chest, knocking it clear across the room and through a wall to the gymnasium.

"Camden, Reeves, Ling. Keep him busy while I check on Faith." The three of them sprint into the gym without a word.

"I..I'm concious..." Faith says shakily. "A little dirty, but alive..." She gets up slowly with me helping her up. "We have a Jellyfish to flatten." She says before grabbing my arm and pulling me to the gymnasium door.

Camden is bashing the monster from the left with his Guard Vent shields. Ling is hitting the monster's front as a bronze blur of motion. I'm guessing he Clocked Up again. Reeves has pinned the monster's elasticy right arm through the floorboards with the Tora Claws and is repeatedly kicking the Kaijin with the Batta Legs.

"Guys, form up!" Faith yells to them.

We all converge behind the dazed Jellyfish creature.

"Do exactly what I say when I say go. Camden, slot your Final Vent card. Ling, press the first two buttons on your Zecter and jump before your press down the third one. Faith, swipe your Kick Strike ring over the hand symbol on your belt and jump up. Reeves, take that black disc and slide it over all three of those coins in your belt again. Everyone got it?"

They all say "Yeah" almost at the time as each other.

I pull out the Drop Whale Rouze Card and hold it in front of my chest plate. "DROP" it says as it fuses to my armor. "GO!"

"Final Vent : Eternal Chaos." Goldphoenix flies out of the baseboard glass of the basketball hoop and picks up Camden in its talons.

Ling presses the first two buttons. "1,2," He jumps and presses the third. "...3, Rider Kick!"

"Faith slides her Kick Strike ring over her Hand Author. "Kick Strike, Please." She floats into the air on a halo of amber crystal.

"Taka-Tora-Batta. Scanning Charge!" Reeves bounces up on the Batta Legs.

I jump up and assume a kick pose. "RIDER..."

All four of my friends finish the phrase with me: "...KICK!"

GoldPhoenix flings Camden at the monster. Ling spins towards the monster in a corkscrew motion. Faith's dominant leg is covered in a multi-colored blaze as she assumes a kicking position. Three rings of red, yellow, and green light appear in front of Reeves as he flies toward the still confused monster. I drop like a stone in a pond towards the monster's head.

We all hit the monster, one after another. The Kaijin falls to its knees as I toss a blank Rouze Card at it. It is absorbed into the card in a burst of gray light.

I walk over and grab the Gel Jellyfish card of the floor. I slide in into my belt and power down.

My friends follow my lead and resume normal human form.

"One question, what in the name of God was that?!" Camden says before his armor even disappears completely.

"Well, I can explain that..." A deep, staticlike voice comes on over the intercom.


	3. A Explaination of Sorts

"Who are you?!" I yell at the empty room my friends and I are currently standing in.

"Now, where's the fun in telling you who I am right away? It ruins the game." The voice becomes clearer as the speaker does a stereotypical maniacal villain laugh.

"How are there Kaijin here and where did the Henshin Devices come from?!" I yell back at the voice.

"To put it simply, I crafted them from primordial energy languishing at the very edge of the Andromeda Galaxy. I formed an army for my people from the creative thoughts of a world a lifetime and a half away."

"Your people?" Faith says quizically.

"Uh uh uh, no hints. By the way, I'd start coming up with an excuse for why you're here because some policemen are on their way in. Toodles!" The intercom cuts out audibly.

The footsteps outside the gym start coming closer and closer. The cops are less than three minutes out at best.

"Just follow my lead, guys. Remember the fact that we're the heroes here." I say as I walk calmly towards the noticably broken doorway and the crumbling hallway beyond.

"What happened here?!" A nervous cop says, pointing his gun at the shattered tile floor.

"I'll show you, officer. Just hold on." I pull the handle on my belt again, changing back into the form of Blade.

"How...?" The cop's jaw drops.

"I haven't the foggiest clue, but we just beat the ever-loving crap out of a monster hell-bent on killing everyone in its grasp, so some benefit of the doubt would be nice."

The principal, Mr. Barnettier, comes pushing past the cops. I dehenshin and look up at his eyes.

"T...Tom..." He says, his jaw also dropping.

"Yes, sir. Not just me though..."

Faith, Reeves, Camden, and Ling exit the gym in that exact order.

Camden slides the Odin Advent Deck out of his belt clip and back in, transforming into Kamen Rider Odin. Ling slides the Ketaros Zecter back into a straight position, the Ketaros armor reappearing in the same rush of polygonal plates. Reeves slides the Medal clip back down and slide the scanner across it, turning back into OOO. And finally, Faith holds the Change Ring over her belt's Hand Author, once again being enveloped by the Kamen Rider WiseWoman armor.

"How...how...?" The principal gasps out.

"I have no idea, but I know this: There is a crazy extragalactic alien summoning monsters from a Japanese TV drama for unknown reasons."

"So... how do we confront this?"

"It's simple, sir. 'We' don't. You let the five of us deal with him."

"Hey, kid, remember your place here!" The cop yells awkwardly

"My 'place' is saving this school from a jellyfish monster while you were hanging with your pants around your ankles trying to respond!"

The cop sputters angrily, but doesn't keep speaking.

"Mr. Barnettier, could you call an assembly for right now and a press conference for later?"

"Yeah, sure..." He nods a few times and walks away.

I turn back to my friends "Are you four ready to show off a bit?"

They each nod quickly.


	4. An Exhibition of Surprises

All four of my friends plus me stream into the auditorium in the same lines as every other student. We arrange ourselves with me at a hastily set up microphone and my four buddies arrayed evenly behind me.

"Can we have your attention please?" I say awkwardly. The chatter continues, seemingly louder than before.

"Hey chatterboxes, eyes and ears up here!" Faith yells and the whole room quiets to less than a whisper.

"Thank you, Faith. Now I'm sure some of you know who the five of us standing up here are. Whether you like any of us is a moot point right now and I will show you why..." I tilt my head back to my friends. "Ready?"

"HENSHIN! Turn Up! Henshin Vent! Henshin : Change Beetle! Tatoba Tatoba! Change, Please!" Our armors cover us all over again.

Even the smallest whispers have gone silent now, even the teachers are struck with disbelief.

"I'm guessing some of you coming in here noticed the smoldering remains of the gym and its surrounding area. That was us fighting a jellyfish monster dead set on killing everyone it could find. Sorry about the sloppy nature of the fight, but we were winging it mostly."

"Hold on..." A kid stands up in the second row closest to the stage. I recognize him, a senior who heads the swim team.

"Yes?" I can tell where this is going.

"Why do you guys get the cool costumes and powers?"

I ponder this for a second and get an idea. "Faith, power down and pass me your belt."

Her armor disappears in a flash of crystalline brightness. "Here ya go." She tosses her belt to me underhandedly with the Change Ring.

"By all means, try to use this thing." I toss the kid the belt.

He pushes at all the wrong bits before finally sliding the hand glyph into its henshin position. He awkwardly slides the ring over the marking.

"Ch..an..g...g..eeeee..." The sound stutters as amber-colored sparks fly from underneath the Hand Author. A bright green image of a sword-wielding skeletal Phantom burst from the Hand Author, obviously trying to escape. A wall of stained glass forms in front of it as it begins to burn in multicolored flames.

The belt shocks the kid with orange lightning before flying back to Faith's waist with the Change ring returning to her right ring finger.

"Obviously, your Phantom isn't strong enough to power that belt. Does that answer your question?"

The guy is rubbing the spot on his jacket where the ghostly image spawned and breathing hard. "What...what the...?"

"That was a Phantom, a creature residing in every human being's Underworld, the blackest pit of your soul where you shove your gravest fears and regrets. By getting its host to give in to despair, the creature can escape. That belt harnesses and pacifies Faith's no-doubt powerful Phantom. Any other such questions?"

The silence of the room hangs from floor to ceiling.

"I thought not. That is all." All five of us walk off stage

Faith pulls me aside by my shoulder. "I have one of those freakish things lurking in my body?"

"More like in a sub-dimensional pocket tied to this world by your soul, but yes."

"Why didn't you say anything about that?!"

"That's because the belt pacifies and contains the damn thing somewhat, but also because I don't want you freaking out. Your Phantom is most likely powerful as all hell because the last proper wielder of that belt had to magically construct a Phantom hardy enough to withstand that thing's power requirements."

"So it's likely weakened right now?"

"To a certain degree, yeah."

Faith sighs with relief. "Okay, good. That is good..."

"While we're on the subject, Camden has a ravenous phoenix in contract with him right now."

"Wait, I never signed anything!" Camden yells at me.

"No, but the Advent card in your deck sure did. It doesn't matter much anyhow. GoldPhoenix should be content as long as we beat the crud out of monster, it gains sustenance from battle."

Camden exhales heavily. "Anything else you want to get out of the way?"

"Ling could go overboard on the Clock Up ability and rip apart the motion cortex of the multiverse. My Rouze Cards all draw power from ancient beast based on every organic form of life. Finally, the Core Medals in Reeves' belt can be used too many at once and transmogrify him into a Greeed containment coffin. That's all I think."

"Okay. That would be weird except for... every other part of today." Ling says, with his hand on his forehead, exhausted.


	5. A Mysterious Ally on The Horizon

The ceiling of the auditorium began shaking and cracking.

I start to say we need to get the students out, but my friends are already a step ahead of me. Ling's rocketing across the walls, breaking debris before they fall to the floor. Camden is skating on GoldPhoenix, cracking boulders in two and having his bird buddy crunch on whatever's left. Reeves is slashing falling lighting fixtures into scrap with the Tora claws while Faith is burning more rubble with her Special Ring.

"It won't be enough..." I gasp. The ceiling is breaking too much and too fast. What to do? What do I do!?

I pull the Gel Jellyfish card out of my deck case. "I hope this works...!"

"GEL." My body turns gelatinous and spreads out over the whole area, blocking the ceiling remnants from the floor.

"Get...them...out..." Ling speeds out over and over, carrying more people each time. The others are also carrying out huge amounts of kids and staff.

The last person runs out as the mounds of scrap and roofing chunks finally pile too high and my body reverts to its physical form. The rain of plaster and metal misses me by a millimeter from every side.

"God above, that was close." All four of my friends carve a path through and slap the back of my head each in turn.

"What in the hell were you thinking?!" Reeves yells at me.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Ling screams in my ear.

"You could've gotten killed!" Faith screeches, punching me in the gut.

"We have plenty of time to yell at each other, but right now we need to find the cause of the collapse before he caves the whole school in."

"No need to find me, children." A deep, but wavering voice chuckles from the stage. The monster is leaning against the stage curtains as if he's just relaxing the day away.

I recognized the Kaijin instantly. "The Bison Yummy. One of Gamel's metal and gravity powered creations." I draw the Blay Rouzer. "It makes sense that you could cave in the ceiling without much effort."

"Well, my reputation precedes me." He leans to a standing position from the wall he was leaning on.

"The way you speak makes no sense. The original Bison Yummy was more of a dumb, aggravated child. You're obviously a bit smarter than your fictional compatriot."

"The Jellyfish Undead wasn't much of a talker either if you'll remember. Maybe, we're just a smidge smarter than our copies in TV-land." He laughs.

"Can't be too smart since you still decide to tangle with Kamen Riders, so let's cease the chit-chat and get down to brass tax." I shove my fist into my open palm in a mock punching motion. "Ready, guys?"

"When you are, Tom." Reeves says behind me.

"Then drop this creep fast and hard!" I charge the Bison Yummy.

"SWORD VENT" Camden summons Odin's swords. He leaps over me and stabs right at the monster's face. The air in the room seems to become as heavy as bricks.

"Complete control of gravity can be very handy sometimes." The pressure in the room intesifies until we can barely stand, even with the Rider armor.

A puff of glitter slashes toward the Bison Yummy from the middle door into the auditorium. The crystalline shine storms around the kaijin like a gemstone hurricane before flying onto Faith's right middle finger and solidifying there as a mage ring. The Bison Yummy is still reeling from the surprise assault and the gravity effect disappates immediately.

Without even looking at the ring, Faith slides the new ring over her Hand Author.

"Horizon, Please." A yellow version of her mage's circle spawns to her right and swipes across her. All of the orange crystal on her armor becomes yellow and the armor bits themselves become thicker.

"Where the heck did that come from?" Camden says, randomly glancing around the room.

"We can't question that now. Faith, take him down." I nod at her and she lunges at the still dazed creature.

"What...?" The Bison Yummy comes out of its haze just soon enough to take a ten-ton left-hook from Faith's reinforced gauntlet. He flies sideways into the wall before falling with a deep thud onto the stage floor, leaving a foot-thick imprint in the wall.

"Faith, Kick Strike." I yell at her. It seems she was one step ahead of me because she was already swapping the Kick Strike Ring with the Special Ring on her left hand.

"Horizon Kick Strike, Please!" A spire of rock shoots her skyward. Another chunk of stone follows her as she rockets up. When she reaches her maximum height, the boulder smacks her towards the weakened Kaijin with a ear-smashing THWACK.


	6. The True Hero Meets The Wrong Fate

Faith lands just behind the monster as he detonates into Cell Medals. She then stands and dusts herself down. A soft hiss sounds as she powers out of the WiseWoman armor.

"Faith? Are you okay?" Both me and Camden say at almost the same time. In a split second, Faith's knees buckle audibly and she falls hard against the hardwood stage floor. All four of us gasp with horror and rush up to her.

"She's unconcious." An alien voice says seemingly from nowhere. I've got a funny feeling that this is our mysterious benefactor.

"Who are you?" I say, balling my fists at the creature that just allowed Faith to use a weapon that knocked her out.

"I am not a who. I am a what. Regardless, she will wake soon." An electrical buzzing noise fades out. I guess he just left.

"At least she's breathing..." I cup my head in my hands and sigh. I am tired as all hell.

"Tom?! Where are you?" That's my brother's voice. The hell is he doing here?

"What is your brother here for?" Camden asks with an awkward cough.

"You have as much of an answer as I do." I run up to the theatre's door. My brother is panting and sweating in sheets. I walk up to him and clap onto his shoulder.

He turns around suddenly and spies the Blay Buckle fastened around my waist. His eyes go wide in shock. "What the hell...?..."

"Use your brain, Samuel. What do you think this means?" I hug him and we both begin to tear up. I finally realize just how scared I'd been this whole time. I was terrified, but I had held it together long enough to fight. By the time I hear the sharp noise cut through the air, its too late.

My brother's body goes rigid and he falls into my arms, a futuristic blowdart sticking out of his left shoulder. I hear metal scratching against metal just underneath his skin. I scream, but I'm too focused on my brother to actually hear myself.

"Sam, stay with me! Stay with me, dammit!" I clutch his cold hand in both of mine. "Lord above, please don't take him from me. Please..."

"Bullseye!" A kaijin screeches as he's hopping side to side like an excited kid. Rat Mutant, a Golgom monster who fought Black RX. My vision burns red and tears of anger fall like rain from my bloodshot eyes. Big mistake, buddy, huge mistake...

"Henshin! Turn Up!"

"Uh oh..." Rat Mutant gasps as I toss the Blay Rouzer aside and rip into him with my bare hands. I punch him again and again, smacking one of his arms nearly flat and ripping half of his left leg from the other half with a cringeworthy bone-snapping sound.

"GEL" I flood into Rat Mutant's mouth, expanding and shrinking in cycles every few seconds before expanding back to normal size. He explodes into bits, thick rivers of slime and tissue coating the entire hall. I walk heavily back to my brother.

"Why wasn't it me?!" I fall to my knees and lay my head onto Sam's unmoving chest. He was the hero. He was the better person. He should've survived...

I should've been killed...

"


End file.
